Improvement in modes of covering rounded articles with leather



JAMES H. OSGO OD.

Mode of Covering Rounded Articles with Leather No. 127,098, Patented May21,1872.

JAMES H. OSGOOD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MODES 0F COVERING ROUNDED ARTICLES WlTH LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,098, dated May 21,1872.

Know all men by these presents.-

That I, JAMES H. OsGooD, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Method of Covering Rounded Articles withLeather, suitable for the manufactureof base-balls and other similararticles, of which the following is an accurate specification:

The nature of the invention consists, first, in the employment of a newstitch which I call the double herring-bone secured stitch, whereby onlyone stitch of the covering can be broken at a time; second, in theemployment of a binder of leather next the yarn of a base-ball, or as afirst cover to other round articles, so stitched and put on, that theouter covering when applied shall have its seams at right angles orbreaking joints with the seams of the said first cover; third, in makingthe leather covers of a hemispherical shape by compression and crimpingin properly-shaped molds with plungers, while wet, after which they aredried in shape and then softened by moisture, stretched on, and sewed.

In the accompanying drawing the invention is illustrated by a game ball.This ball is made in the usual way with a rubber or cork core, and yarntightly wound on till the ball is of proper size. Stout leather is thencut to proper shape to form one hemisphere of the cover, and isthoroughly wet, and, while wet, put into a hemispherical mold,preferably of wood, and strongly compressed therein by a hemisphericalplunger closely fitting the mold. It is then allowed to remain in themold till somewhat dry, the compression itself removing considerablewater by pressure. The edges of the hemisphere are then trimmed, and theleather laid by so as to become thoroughly hard and dry. When it is dryand it is desirable to cover a ball, two of these hemispheres of leatherare taken, moistened enough to make them flexible, while still retainingtheir shape, and being softened at the edges sufficient to admit ofworking a needle through them. This drying to shape and subsequentsoftening is requisite, because when first molded, the leather driesunevenly 5 and in fitting on the covers, it is requisite to have onlythe edges soft for sewing, while the dishing part should be onlyflexible. Two of these hemispheres are then placed upon the yarn balland are drawn into place by sewing them as follows: A thread of suitablelength is taken, having a needle at each end. The needles are passedfrom below up through the leather, the thread drawn tight on both sides,crossed, and tied in a square or reefing knot, by which means the twothreads are looped around each other. The needles are then passed underthe leather, up through it, the threads again drawn up, again knotted,and this repeated until the leather is all sewed on. The usual stitchfor these purposes is made with a single thread carried up through theleather, across the seam, and under the leather on the other side, upthrough it, across under, up through, across, and so on, making theherring-bone stitch. This, it will be seen, is a sort of doubleherring-bone knotted, only the thread which starts on a given side, bythe knotting, never crosses to the other side. Almost any knot used forfastening the ends of rope together will serve for the knot in thiscase, but the square knot or the Garrick bend or weavers knot would bethe one most generally adopted, and probably the best.

This form of stitch is illustrated at Fig. 2, where a and bare the twothreads, 0 and d the two leather sides, and k the knots.

This stitch will not rip, for each stitch is independently fastened.

The ball is now fit to be used, but is not suitable for the very hardestusage. I call this cover so put on the first cover or binder. I now taketwo other hemispheres of leather, place them upon the ball so coveredwith the first cover, after that has dried, in such a way as to havetheir seam break joints with theseam of the covers already on, and sewthem, as before, with the double herringbone stitch knotted.

This construction is shown at Figure 1, where A is the binder, w itsseam, and B is the outer cover, and y its seam.

By this construction I save sewing, because the seam is the line of agreat circle, and not,

as is usual, a meandering line sufficiently long to make two greatcircles. I thus put my two envelopes on the ball with only the amount ofsewing now used for one. I also secure a persaddles, or to any strainedcovering of leather.

The method of molding or shaping the leather and then drying it beforeattempting to fit it, moistening it while fitting only slightly is alsoapplicable to all leather coverings, as of harness, buckles, andtrimmings, panniers, axe, and shovel slings, and the like.

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A ball exterior,composed of two crimped hemispherical covers, A and B, having theirrespective scams or and 51 break joints, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a ball whose exterior is composed of twohemispherical covers A and B, with their respective scams w y breakingjoints, I claim the double herring-bone stitch formed of two threads, inthe manner herein set forth.

JAMES H. OSGOOD.

Witnesses L. H. MAHN, Trros. WM. CLARKE.

